What is the Constitution?
What is the constitution?
A set of rules for the United States Government.
Who did not have voting rights when the constitution was written, more than 200 years ago?
Women, slaves, native americans and poor people who did not own land
What are the Bill of Rights?
The first ten amendments added to the Constitution.
What is the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights?
The right to say and write what they believe.
True or False: The Constitution was written so that it could NOT be changed in the future.
False
What are the two levels of the government that the Constitution covers?
National and State
What did the 4 amendments to the constitution discussed in this passage guarantee?
That the rights given by the Constitution are given too ALL Americans.
What is one example of a right afforded by the Bill of Rights?
The right to practice any religion or practice no religion, and the right to speek freely
False. The Bill of rights does not give people the right to break the law.
What happens when people have a different opinion about a situation, according to the Constitution?
They may go to a judge in a court, the judge may decide who is right, or change a law that is not fair.
What are some examples of the powers does the National Government have and the State governments have that are different?
National: forming an army and navy
State: running the public schools
What is one thing that all American citizens can do now, because of the 4 amendments, that they could not do before the amendments were written?
Vote
What were many Americans afraid might happen when the Constitution was first in place?
That the national government might get too strong and force people to do things.
True or False: If the American government does not like what you write in a newspaper, you are not protected by any rights.
False. The Bill of Rights gives people the right to say and write what they believe even if the government does not like it.
True or False: It doesn't matter what judges have said in the past for new situations that come to the court
False: judges see if other judges have said anything about the situation in the past when deciding
What are the changes to the Constitution called?
Amendments
What did the author mean we they wrote "now the words 'We the people' mean that the laws apply to all people equally"
Now the laws in the Constitution include all American citizens equally, no matter their gender, race or wealth, when before when it was written it did not actually apply to everyone as it should have
the promise that something will happen
True or False: I am protected by the Bill of Rights when I hurt someone by accident.
False: The bill of rights covers fundamental rights, like the right to free speech.
True or False: Judges just have to make sure they think the laws are fair, not that the law treats all people fairly.
False: Judges have to make sure that all people are treated fairly.
Why are amendments to the Constitution important?
As the countries changes, so should the rules. Example: people who could not vote then can now vote.
Why do you think the author titled this passage "We the People"
Because when the constitution was first written, it did not apply to all people equally, so "We the People" was not accurate then. However, now with the amendments it is.
Do the Bill of Rights allow me to publish lies about my enemies in newspapers?
No, I can tell lies about people. The Bill of Rights affords me the right to speak freely but not to lie.
True or False: If I break the law by accident, the Bill of rights will help me.
The Bill of Rights does not give me the right to break the law.
In what way are all these passages related to each other?
They all discuss the constitution, how it applies to us and why it is important.